Chapter Nine: A Father’s Deepest Worries for His Daughter

With Chen Siyuan’s help, both Liu Xiaoli and Liu Yifei quickly adapted to life in New York. Liu Xiaoli had firmly secured her position as the principal dancer of the New York dance troupe. After a brief adjustment period, she began to take on the lead roles. Her former rival, Beverly, had become one of Liu Xiaoli’s most steadfast supporters ever since Chen Siyuan helped resolve the troubles involving her boyfriend. Now, the ballet "The Death of the Swan," headlined by Liu Xiaoli, was about to premiere, and the internal response was incredibly enthusiastic.

Liu Yifei’s academic progress was also smooth; it did not take long for her to communicate and study entirely in English without any obstacles. Her test scores climbed rapidly to the top of her school. The life of the three-person family was full of passion hidden within the mundane. Both Chen Siyuan and Liu Xiaoli had forgotten that their marriage was initially a sham. Their married life was incomparably sweet, and the once-profligate man had truly turned over a new leaf. Chen Siyuan no longer went to bars to hunt for beauty at night, preferring to stay home and watch movies with his daughter. After the movie, he naturally lavished all his affection on Liu Xiaoli alone. Under Chen Siyuan’s care and nourishment, Liu Xiaoli seemed to be aging in reverse. Her skin was rosy and radiant, making even the younger girls envious and jealous.

Chen Siyuan highly suspected that Liu Xiaoli possessed the trait of bringing good fortune to her husband. Since marrying her, his law firm’s growth rate had actually exceeded that of the previous three years. It was truly astonishing, and Chen Siyuan’s wealth grew exponentially.

"Boss, the investigation into Miramax Films is nearing its end. That guy Weinstein is quite daring, but we have already secured sufficient evidence and witnesses to take down this lecherous villain," reported Adams Gibson, a top lawyer under Chen Siyuan, with a glowing face. When Chen Siyuan first asked Adams to investigate Weinstein and Miramax, Adams had been a bit confused, but now he understood. This was his boss giving him an opportunity to make a name for himself. Although Weinstein and Miramax were not among the "Big Six" in Hollywood, Weinstein’s restless nature made him notorious. He had quite a reputation in Hollywood now. If he could take down Weinstein, Adams would secure a place for himself in the legal world.

"Adams, taking down Weinstein is not difficult, but I need you to acquire Miramax Films at the lowest possible cost," Chen Siyuan said with a smile. In 1997, although Weinstein had made a name for himself in Hollywood, his foundation was not that solid. It was easy to topple him, especially when his opponent was Chen Siyuan. For someone like Chen Siyuan, who was well-armed with federal law, there were hundreds of ways to bring Weinstein down. In fact, without Chen Siyuan having to step in personally, his top lawyers could handle it all.

"Boss, rest assured. I will arrange an offshore capital entity to acquire Miramax Films without anyone noticing," Adams said, understanding the implication. Having followed Chen Siyuan for three years, he knew his character and requirements well. "After taking over Miramax, use professional managers to reshuffle the staff so that no one can find a single flaw."

"Yes, Boss! I guarantee no one will ever suspect our connection to it!" Adams grasped the spirit of Chen Siyuan’s plan instantly.

"Very good. Once you handle this case well, you can go out and establish your own firm," Chen Siyuan said with a satisfied nod.

"Boss, I will not let you down!" Adams’s eyes lit up. It was finally his turn.

"Go," Chen Siyuan said, sitting in his office chair with a smile. At this moment, he was the godfather of the New York legal world. Seemingly casual moves today would erupt with powerful energy in the future. Chen Siyuan tapped his fingers on the desk, producing a rhythmic "clack-clack" sound. Some things are just casual seeds sown while waiting for them to bloom, while others require careful planning in advance.

Since he had already married Liu Xiaoli, as a father, he naturally had to consider Liu Yifei’s future. The layout in Hollywood was only one part of the plan and would not be activated for some time. Even with Miramax, Chen Siyuan did not intend to interfere too much after acquiring it; professional managers would handle the operations. At most, he would recommend a few excellent independent films that had been proven successful in his previous life.

What Chen Siyuan needed to consider now was how to make people back home recognize his influence. After all, Liu Yifei’s base was still in China. In the original timeline, the path Liu Yifei took initially was flawless. Everything went smoothly, as if she were cheating. Roles like Bai Xiuzhu in *The Story of a Noble Family*, Wang Yuyan in *Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils*, Zhao Ling'er in *Chinese Paladin*, and Xiaolongnü in *The Return of the Condor Heroes* were all her armor. This armor made Liu Yifei a "high-health" character, the kind that couldn't be drained no matter how much she was bled. Chen Siyuan did not intend to change this progression; he would let it follow the established course. What he needed to do was provide her with a rocket booster after she finished "stacking" her armor in China, allowing her to fly even higher.

He needed to make up for the missing middle section of her career. For Chen Siyuan, this was not difficult. With his current influence in America, returning to China would be like a powerful dragon crossing the river. However, a strong dragon should not bully the local snakes; he still needed to find some allies, or he might get sabotaged. After all, the Chinese entertainment industry could be described as a small temple with high winds and a shallow pond filled with many turtles. Even as a transmigrator, Chen Siyuan couldn't afford to be too reckless. Open spears are easy to dodge, but hidden arrows are hard to guard against.

But who to choose as an ally? Chen Siyuan fell into deep thought. Currently, the only private entertainment company in China was Huayi Brothers. However, the Wang brothers were tied to the "Beijing Circle" and were involved in too much messy business, which might lead to being implicated.

Wang Changtian! A name suddenly popped into Chen Siyuan’s mind—the future boss of Enlight Media and Maoyan Entertainment. In 1997, Wang Changtian was still working on *Beijing Express* at Beijing Television. It was worth investing in him early. After carefully weighing his options, Chen Siyuan realized that Wang Changtian was the most suitable ally. He immediately called his assistant to make arrangements. An olive branch from across the ocean—the ambitious Mr. Wang surely wouldn't refuse, right?

The Chinese entertainment industry was still too shallow; it was better to let Mr. Wang go in and test the waters first. In three or four years, Wang Changtian and Enlight Media would be mature enough. By then, when he brought Liu Xiaoli and Liu Yifei back to China, it would be exactly the right time to put them to use.

"Xixi, your old man has really racked his brains for your sake!" Chen Siyuan revealed the smile only a doting father could have. Speaking of which, should he add a little brother for Xixi? And let the little brat protect his sister? Chen Siyuan’s thoughts suddenly started to wander.